An Economic Analysis of GRDC Investment in Minor Use Chemicals

Table 4: Total Investment by GRDC and Partners in the Six Projects
for Years Ending June 1999 to June 2010 (nominal $)
Year ending
June
GRDC Partners Total
1999 43,843 29,500 73,343
2000 60,000 40,000 100,000
2001 100,000 70,000 170,000
2002 116,000 58,000 174,000
2003 134,752 67,376 202,128
2004 116,000 58,000 174,000
2005 126,000 60,000 186,000
2006 123,000 60,000 183,000
2007 123,000 60,000 183,000
2008 115,000 50,000 165,000
2009 115,000 50,000 165,000
2010 115,000 50,000 165,000
Total 1,287,595 652,876 1,940,471
3. Activities and Outputs
Minor use permits, emergency permits and label extensions are the most readily
identifiable outputs of each of the projects funded. The outputs are achieved by a
wide range of activities including consultation with the grain industry to identify
priorities and with chemical companies to identify feasible approaches prior to
submissions to APVMA. Field experiments are analysed or organised to provide
efficacy data and residue levels and other data that may be needed to obtain
approval from APVMA. In many cases, effort is expended in determining whether
there is sufficient justification to mount an application. In other cases, efforts to
achieve a permit have been unsuccessful. The input from the MUP ranges from
minor where another agency has major responsibility to major where MUP supports
funding of field trials and has a substantial input. The projects are also involved in a
range of communication activities to ensure the grain industry is well informed on
opportunities to take advantage of minor use permits and other changes.
A minor or non-major use is defined by regulation (Agricultural and Veterinary
Chemicals Code Amendment Regulations 2004 (NO. 3) 2004 NO. 251) and was
developed on the basis of the likely economic return to the applicant taking into
account the costs to meet registration requirements. A minor use can also be
determined on the basis of limited use on a major crop; the guideline for use on a
major crop being less than 10 percent of the area nationally or less than 10,000 ha
in total. There are 11 crops relevant to GRDC that are deemed “Major” by APVMA
guidelines (Commonwealth of Australia 2002). They are barley, maize, oats,
sorghum, triticale, wheat, chickpeas, field peas, lupins, canola and sunflowers. (Note
that for sunflowers APVMA has recognised the decrease in area may warrant
recognition as a minor crop.)
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